January 2016 I went to my doctor for a routine wellness exam. During the visit my doctor found some abnormalities and wanted to take biopsies to see if I had cancer. The fear and terror is not something I can explain, it has to be felt. I cried when I got back to my car I don’t know how I made it home. That night I sobbed while my husband held me.

What my doctor didn’t know was that I had been struggling with realizing my own mortality and had become an undiagnosed hypochondriac. I was also battling re-experiencing PTSD, depression and anxieties.

I don’t have cancer. There’s nothing like a life threatening diagnosis that will make you think about your life and how you’re living it. This is when minimalism started to really introduce itself in helping me with my mental health, stress and refocusing on what really matters to me.

We live in America. I was always trying to get somewhere FAST, comparing myself to others, consuming more and more junk putting us further into debt, indulging in unhealthy habits and at the end of the day still unhappy.

There has been so much pain and suffering this past year. I have so much repairing to do in my relationship with God, my marriage, parenting and friendships. I no longer desire stuff that only stresses me out and pulls me further from my purpose and values.

When we gave up 80% of our junk we didn’t focus on what we were losing but what we were﻿ gaining. I’m not saying minimalism is the answer for everyone but maybe with an open mind it is.

The hubby and I have been considering minimalism too! I feel like it keeps your mind less stressed and healthy. Thats why this new year we have opted to be outside more and Adventure then buy material things. I think it’s the best thing for anyone really.

I know what you mean… when you are sick or think you might die it really makes you evaluate your life. On a much less serious way, we went camping last summer for a week. Coming back to our huge house and mounds of stuff was weird. We didn’t need any of it, not really.

Life is about experiences not things. Moments that make up an amazing world. Creating the world you live in is so important. I don’t know how I would label the life we live. We concentrate on being present and seeing each other. I love this post. I also know what it’s like to feel how important life is when you feel it could slip away. Thank you for sharing

Your blog is beautiful. I’ve been following it due to homeschool interest, and just today realized there is more to it. What is PTSD – is it because of school merging you went through in the past? I think my own depression is based on the thought of “everyone is about to die” kind of feeling. What you are describing n this post is so scary and so close to my heart. ❤️